Another Partial Success' photostream  

Different from the usual - check it out Large and dark just to be sure what you're seeing!

Yes, acolytes, this is indeed a break from the normal 'no people in sight' photographs by APS which are typical of my photostream and is a genuine bona fide picture of a real life person... to be precise this is Flo who was one of two most excellent models at a recent studio session set up by the amazing fellow Flickrite, Sosij

This being not a picture of a building I'm also at something of a loss for additional description... bar the many thanks to both Sosij and to the indefatigable Black Wolf who supplied the studio equipment... and to Flo, Redcorn and everyone else who helped make the evening such a success.

In a previous life I used to like taking picture of people... and for a long time I haven't... but this session has rekindled that enthusiasm - who knows where this will lead. All encouragement welcome to help fan this re-ignited flame....!

I'll leave you to ponder the possibilities and to..

... enjoy

P.S More of the shots I took can be seen in the Hitchin Photowalks group.

Different from the usual - check it out Large and dark just to be sure what you're seeing!

Yes, acolytes, this is indeed a break from the normal 'no people in sight' photographs by APS which are typical of my photostream and is a genuine bona fide picture of a real life person... to be precise this is Flo who was one of two most excellent models at a recent studio session set up by the amazing fellow Flickrite, Sosij

This being not a picture of a building I'm also at something of a loss for additional description... bar the many thanks to both Sosij and to the indefatigable Black Wolf who supplied the studio equipment... and to Flo, Redcorn and everyone else who helped make the evening such a success.

In a previous life I used to like taking picture of people... and for a long time I haven't... but this session has rekindled that enthusiasm - who knows where this will lead. All encouragement welcome to help fan this re-ignited flame....!

I'll leave you to ponder the possibilities and to..

... enjoy

P.S More of the shots I took can be seen in the Hitchin Photowalks group.

...and always that L for the Large and Dark view.

And so 2011 draws to an end, and with it my somewhat parlous contribution to Flickr - it's not been a the most abundant year photographically but I'm hoping that the gift of a Sigma 10-20 for Christmas - courtesy of my beloved Mrs APS - will make all the difference...

... and evidence of what this may be is included above - behold, the delights of Letchworth Garden City station captured in glorious 10mm Panavision using a Canon 10-20 (I think) lens which I was fortunate enough to be able to borrow, just to prove to myself that a future purchase/gift was going to be a good addition to my existing stable of two lenses.

I also thought that it was apt to post this shot, given that it's late December, as an allegory for the forthcoming year (darhling) what with the dawn in the distance and the promise of a bright new day and suchlike....either that or it looks like a railway ready to take you into a distant fiery furnace where we'll all burn for eternity and be prodded with demon's tridents as punishment for some earthly oversight or sim'lar.

This said, the more pedantic among you will notice that passengers are waiting on the platform in the direction away from purgatory...although given that this is an early morning commute to London, that may not be much better than the fiery furnace.

Anyway - on a lighter note... an opportunity to say Merry Christmas (belated) to all my fellow Flickrites and to wish you all the best for 2012. For those of you who I owe contact to, I apologise for being rubbish... I'll be in touch. For those of you who've yet to contact me... say hello!

I sincerely hope to be posting more in 2012.. in the meantime, here's a new dawn, just for you.

Enjoy

Too long between uploads but still - press L for the Large and Dark View!

Long term acolytes off APS, aside from wondering if I'd disappeared completely, may recall my earlier discourse on Zen Commuting... the antithesis of which is the title of this shot; for in Commutopia "Every man for himself" is the creed...

... and being all for one and just the one makes for a lonely journey - any fellow Flickrites who have commuted alongside me (and there are some) will know that I'm always one for chatting to my fellow commutees since, if you're going to journey alongside the same people every day, it seems only polite to be social and friendly. My journeys are made all the merrier by The Jolly Boys who wait for the 06:09 at Letchworth every weekday morning. Richard, Paul and John - you know who you are!

And so to this rather lonely scene. I cycle to and from the station to my place of employ, except on Rainy Days when I woos out and get the train - 4th November (it being the date of this shot) being one such day. As I waited I spied these two lonely souls on the opposite platform - my being the only person on the Southbound it seemed a good way to pass the time would be to capture the scene. Two people, sitting the Regulation Commuting Distance (RCD) apart for station waiting, reading The Metro.

The lighting and architecture of the station also appeals to me - I did have a shot with nobody in it but thought that the presence of a person might make a change... fans of APS will no doubt recall my dislike of taking pictures with people in. The array of security cameras is also an interesting point for not only do they seem to duplicate eachother but they're positioned in a very intrusive manner - I'd have thought hiding them in the ceiling would have been preferable, but then perhaps they want people to know they've got a camera and aren't afraid to use it... a fact they broadcast over the Tannoy (lovely old word) at regular intervals.

So I'll leave you with a shot with some people in, nicely illustrating the RCD for stations, and to gaze upon the exposed concrete...

... enjoy

Got to be with an L for that Large and Dark view.

And so to Wicklow Street again, this time to capture the lines of the Metropolitan Railway as they run between Kings Crustation and Farringdon. I've often noticed the strengthening girders when crossing this section by bus (always on the top deck to get the best view) and they've always intrigued me... because of their rather nice eggshell blue colour and for whether they were a later addition or were put in place when the line was built back in the 1860's.

My suspicion is that they've always been there - surely only the Victorians would make the interconnections between each girder have such a nice curve - anything in the latter half of the 20th Century would be more... functional... and anything put in today would have to be challenging, dangerous or exciting so would no doubt end up covered in red plastic and brushed stainless steel.

The other aspect to note is that you hardly notice their presence when you're travelling on the line.. unless you crane your neck and just the right time or the sun's at the right angle to cast their shadow on the track. I dare say most commuters would have no idea they're in place, let alone for such a long distance.

To be frank - most commuters probably don't care as their either glued to an iPhone or to a fellow commuters under-arm.

However, I'm not most commuters and I do care, so rah rah rah!

The shot was rather tricky to get as the parapet on the overbridge is about 7 feet tall - this was a tip-toe point-and-guess shot and I'm rather pleased at how it came out. Not quite central, but I hope it doesn't spoil the effect - I left in the signal just above left of centre for 'artistic effect' as I think it breaks up the pattern of girders as they fade into the distance at the tunnel mouth.

I'll leave you to look into the distance and...

... enjoy